[swift-evolution] [swift-evolution-announce] [Review] SE-0099: Restructuring Condition Clauses

[Xiaodi Wu]

It is of course true that all parts of a conditional statement have
something in common with each other, namely that they are part of the same
conditional statement.

A problem definitely exists with the current syntax, which is that the de
minimis semantic relationship you are showing is not the relationship
implied by the meaning of the word "where."

It is acceptable to say, "I will buy all the apples that are on sale, where
the sale is 5% off or better." It is not acceptable to say, "I will buy all
the apples that are on sale, where my bike is large," even if it is true
that you would only buy all the apples if you had a large bike to transport
them home.

On Wed, Jun 1, 2016 at 11:50 Thorsten Seitz <tseitz42 at icloud.com> wrote:

>
>
> Am 01.06.2016 um 03:47 schrieb Xiaodi Wu via swift-evolution <
> swift-evolution at swift.org>:
>
> Revisiting this conversation, it seems that most of the design space has
> been thoroughly explored. I think all suggestions presented so far boil
> down to these:
>
> Q: How is an arbitrary boolean assertion introduced after `if let`?
>
> Option 1 (present scenario)--using `where`
> Advantages: expressive when it means exactly the right thing
> Drawbacks: makes obligatory the suggestion of a semantic relationship
> between what comes before and after even when there is no such relationship
>
>
> Haravikk already demonstrated that a semantic relationship always exists
> in the sense of "bind this variable for all caes where the following
> condition holds".
>
> So, the perceived problem with the `where` clause does not exist.
>
> -Thorsten
>
>
>
> Option 2--using a symbol sometimes encountered in conditional statements
> (e.g. `&&` or comma)
> Advantages: doesn't look out of place
> Drawbacks: needs to be disambiguated from existing uses, necessitating
> other changes in syntax
>
> Option 3--using a symbol never encountered in conditional statements (e.g.
> semicolon)
> Advantages: doesn't need to be disambiguated from any existing uses
> Drawbacks: looks out of place
>
> For me, options 1 and 2 have permanent and objective drawbacks. By
> contrast, familiarity increases with time, and beauty is in the eye of the
> beholder.
>
> * * *
>
> It does occur to me that there is one more option. I don't know that I
> like it, but it's an option no one has put forward before: recite the
> opening keyword when beginning a new boolean expression:
>
> `if let x = x where x < 3 { ... }` becomes
> `if let x = x if x < 3 { ... }`
>
> `while let item = sequence.next() where item > 0 { ... }` becomes
> `while let item = sequence.next() while item > 0 { ... }`
>
> etc.
>
>
> On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 2:00 PM, Erica Sadun <erica at ericasadun.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> > On May 31, 2016, at 12:52 PM, Xiaodi Wu <xiaodi.wu at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > These lines of reasoning are what have compelled me to conclude that
>> `where` might not be salvageable.
>>
>> To which, I'd add: `where` suggests there's a subordinate and semantic
>> relationship between the primary condition and the clause. There's no way
>> as far as I know this to enforce it in the grammar and the proposal allows
>> both clauses to be stated even without the connecting word. You could make
>> a vague argument, I suppose, for renaming `where` to `when` but all in all,
>> even killing `where` we benefit with better expressive capabilities and a
>> simpler grammar.
>>
>> -- E
>>
>>
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